Amnesia
by ForeverDivergent
Summary: I liked to come out here when I couldn't sleep. The sound of the trains calmed me. I closed my eyes, soaking up the wind as a train plowed past. The gravel then shifted beside me. I looked up to see his face illuminated from the dim compound lights. "Dad?"
1. Chapter 1

**Hello. How have you all been? I must admit, I was expecting a lot of heat, but I was a bit hurt when I had so many people tell me that I made the worst ending ever. I'm sorry you felt that way. But just think, there would be no sequel if I hadn't done it. I thought I did a pretty good job.**

**P.S. If you haven't read Forever10, read that first otherwise you won't know what the hell is going on.**

Chapter 1

"Carter! Get your brothers up please!"

The brown haired girl with the penetrating gray eyes groaned and sat up, sleepily rubbing her eyes. After looking at her soundly sleeping brothers, she quickly decided which method she would use to wake them up. Well, wake one of them up. Carter had a soft spot for six year old TJ. Aiden, on the other hand, would receive no mercy. No mercy didn't mean that Carter hated her brother. The two were actually very close.

Carter gently shook Tobias, named after their missing father, awake.

"TJ," she whispered. "Get dressed and go by mom."

He nodded sleepily and did as his sister said.

Carter turned to the opposite side of the large room, where Aiden's bed was. Silently, she walked over to his bedside. Aiden was curled up in a ball, which made him look a lot smaller than he actually was. Even though Aiden was only fifteen, he looked like he should be at least eighteen due to his size and angular features. The size he had inherited from their dad, but he looked at lot like their mom.

His full name was Aiden Christopher Eaton. Apparently their father had begged their mom to settle on this name. She hadn't liked it because it sounded funny when his middle name was excluded. Carter happened to agree.

Anyways, Aiden hated it when anyone called him Aiden Christopher or Aiden Eaton. Anyone except his mom or his siblings would get punched if they didn't call him either Aiden or Ace, the nickname his father had given him.

Often times, when Carter woke him up, she'd say his full name. She'd whisper it at first, gradually growing louder each time she spoke. When he opened his eyes, she'd scream his name right in his face and punch him as hard as she could in the shoulder.

Why did Carter do this? Because she was his sister. It was her job.

But this morning when she did it, Aiden did something strange. Instead of glaring at his sister and saying, "Fuck off," like he usually did, Aiden pulled her into a bone crushing hug. She returned it cautiously, very confused by his actions.

"Make sure you get Dauntless today, okay Carter?" he told her.

Of course. He was talking about the aptitude test that she would be taking today. The test that would determine what faction that Carter truly belonged in. While everyone in her faction thought that she would get Dauntless, Carter herself didn't know what to expect. She was known to have a very unpredictable personality. She can vary between the nicest girl you'll ever meet and the meanest. Okay, not the meanest, but not very nice.

Due to her fluctuating personality, Carter feared that she may be Divergent. Lately it's becoming more and more common, and even though it's not as dangerous to be one, it's not something that you want to announce. There are still some Erudite that want the Divergent gone. After they're studied them first of course.

There is a reason that Carter knows all of this information. Her mother, Tris, the Dauntless prodigy, was Divergent. Tris didn't exactly tell her daughter that, but Carter has eavesdropped on enough of her conversations with her dad to figure it out.

Dad.

That's a word that Carter hasn't said aloud in a long time. Her dad was gone. Most of the faction, including Aiden, believed that he was dead. Carter, along with her mother and her friends, believed that he was still alive. Alive and trying to get back to us after six years. There was no evidence to prove this assumption, but there was no evidence to proof that he was alive either.

Well, that's what everyone thought. Carter knew that her father was alive. He told her so. A few days after he went missing, she found a note. It was tucked into a little hole in a small tree. Carter's dad had told her that a bird would probably make its nest there. Carter took to looking every time she walked past it. When her dad first went missing, she refused to leave that apartment. Since she was only ten, Carter didn't quite grasp what the word gone meant. She had told her mom that someone had to be home when her dad came back.

"I'm sure that when dad comes home we'll all be here." Her mother had said. That was the first and only time that Carter had seen her mother cry/

When she finally did leave the apartment, it was to go to school. She was walking with her best friend Grayson, his twin sisters, and Aiden. When they walked past the tree Carter had to check. Grayson never understood why she checked every time. There had only been a nest once.

But Grayson understood that day, and every day after. It was something that Carter and her dad had done. She was trying to keep him close.

When she had looked, Carter hadn't expected to see anything. But she did. She was shocked to see the small piece of paper in there.

When she took it out and examined the rushed, untidy scrawl, Carter knew that it couldn't have been anyone but her dad. That was their spot.

He wrote that he'd be back. He promised. And her dad has never broken a promise that he's made her.

Carter never told anyone about the note. She felt that if she did, everyone would think that he was coming back soon. Every day he didn't come home would be heartbreaking. It already was for Carter; she didn't want others feeling the same way.

To know that her father was still alive… that was the best gift she could have ever received. But being let down every day when he didn't show up; it nearly killed her.

"Carter," Aiden said. "You're drifting again."

Carter looked at him for a moment. "Sorry," she muttered. Drifting off was something Carter commonly did. She would start to think deeply and stop paying attention to what was going on around her. Sometimes it got so bad that people would have to forcefully shake her awake. Apparently it started after her disappeared, though she's not always thinking about him when it happens.

"I'll get Dauntless today Aiden." Carter assured him, even though she herself didn't believe it. "Where else would I go?"

Her brother smiled at her. "You're right Carter. It was foolish of me to worry. You're too stupid to do anything but punch people."

Carter wiped that smirk off of his face after she delivered a swift, hard punch to his gut. Now it was her turn to smile. While he was groaning and clutching at his stomach, she said, "You got one thing right. I am very good at punching people."

-Page Break-

Since TJ was too young to jump on the trains, he and the other young Dauntless get escorted by a few parents. Carter and Aiden dropped him off and found their friends. Well, Carters friends and Aiden's two goons.

Their names were Luke and Tyler. They were the most annoying duo that Carter had ever met. Well, aside from Grayson's sisters. Once you get to know them they're okay, but when you first meet them you literally want to slap them both silly. But you don't, because if you target one, you target the other.

Haley and Erin were identical twins.

There is literally no way to tell them apart. Well, if you're not Carter it is. There are little clues. Carter pays close attention to people and she's managed to pick up on a few things.

For example: Haley's mouth is almost slightly open, like she wants to say something but is waiting for her turn. Erin likes to twirl her hair around her finger. All girls do this of course, but Erin does it almost incessantly.

It's like they have twin telepathy or something. They finish each other's sentences or say the same thing at the same times. It one is upset, the other is too. They're a package deal whether you like it or not.

"Hey Carter!" the twins shouted.

"Do you think," Erin began.

"That you're going," Haley interjected.

"To get Dauntless?" They finished together.

"Of course she is!" answered a grinning Grayson. Carter gave him a smile in return.

Grayson, unless he's very good at hiding things, is one hundred and seven percent Dauntless. His personality, unlike Carters, doesn't change. There is no doubt in Carters mind that his aptitude test will result in Dauntless.

"It'll be alright Carter." He whispered to her on the train. He squeezed her hand tightly and rubbed reassuring circles with his thumb. He knew of Carters fear about being Divergent, he just didn't share it.

Now don't take the hand holding the wrong way. Carter and Grayson weren't dating. They tried about a year ago but it was just too awkward. When people would they stuff about what a good couple they would make, the two would just look at each other and laugh. Luckily, they were able to resume their friendship as if nothing had ever happened.

The beginning of the day went by very slowly. At the moment, Grayson and Carter were sitting side by side, waiting patiently for our names to be called.

Carter was called first. Grayson wished her good luck as she walked away.

Carter took a deep breath before entering the area designated only for her.

It was time to figure out where she truly belonged.

**Now I don't know if I'm going to stick with the third person thing so the next chapter might be in first.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hola. How is everybody? I know that it's been awhile. And it's going to be awhile longer until there is another update. Junior year is really hard and I have no time to myself, which means no time to update. **

Chapter 2

*Carter P.O.V*

I was greeted by a kind looking Abnegation woman when I walked into the room. She told me her name, but I was too nervous to remember it. I just hoped that she couldn't sense that.

She directed me to a chair in the middle of the room. When I sat down and looked around, the woman smiled warmly at me. It was a smile that you received by someone you knew; but I didn't know her.

"Are you nervous?" she asked as she was attaching electrodes to my forehead.

"A little," I replied, not at all telling her the truth. Good thing she wasn't Candor.

The woman gave another small smile and handed me a tiny glass filled with a deep blue liquid. I wanted to question the Abnegation lady about it, but she was too busy typing something into a computer. We had learned about serums in school, but we never really dwelled too deeply into how they actually worked.

Apparently I had been staring at the liquid for a while because the lady had to remind me to drink it. I felt my face flush and quickly downed the serum. The last thing I saw was that smile.

I was startled when I opened my eyes and the woman was gone. Actually, everything was gone. The lady, the computer, the chair. I spun around and saw that I was actually in the cafeteria; an almost empty cafeteria. On one of the long tables were two baskets. One of them was filled with cheese, the other a long knife.

"Choose!"

Once again I spun around. I was expecting someone to be there, but no one was.

"Choose!" The voice yelled again. It was obviously a woman.

I turned back to the cheese and knife, contemplating what was to come.

"Why do I need to choose?" I questioned the voice.

"Choose!" Now the voice was agitated. Maybe if I stalled enough, I could get it to explain what's going to happen.

"Just tell me why!" I shouted back.

There was no response, but both the cheese and knife disappeared.

"Good job Carter," I scolded. "Now you have nothing."

A door opened and I heard a growl. A dog. My mother taught me about dogs. Is this what she was preparing me for?

With my back still facing the beast, I rack my brain to remember what she told me.

They can smell fear. Good thing I'm not afraid of dogs, even if they are planning on attacking me.

You don't want to look at them straight in the eye. They'll take that as a sign of aggression.

I may be Dauntless, but that doesn't mean that I'm ruthless all the time, which means I'm not going to outright attack the dog. Even though I haven't seen the dog yet, I can tell by the deepness of its growl that it's a fairly large breed.

I have to be submissive. It's not the ideal thing to do, but what choice do I have? Slowly, ever so slowly, I inch myself closer to the ground. I cover my face with my arm and plan what to do if the dog still attacks. I'll need to get my arms around its neck. It's my only option.

The growling continues and I can hear the ticking of its claws as it progresses towards me. I wait for any sign of an attack, but it doesn't come. Instead of feeling the vicious bite of its razor sharp teeth, a rough, wet sensation hits my cheek. The dog was licking me.

I opened my eyes and slowly worked my way into a kneeling position. The dog, now sitting and wagging its tail excitedly, was, as I had thought, quite big.

_This is an odd test,_ I thought to myself. _All I needed to do was get past a dog?_

I heard the door open again. This time it was a little girl.

"Puppy!" she exclaimed happily.

"No-!" I tried to warn, but I was too late. The dog was already getting up to go after her. I got to my feet and took chase. I flung myself on top of the dog, tackling it to the ground.

I wasn't on top of it for long. When I hit the floor, the dog was no longer there. And neither was the cafeteria. I was back in the empty testing room. I head towards the door and push myself out, hoping to find someone that could help me figure out what was going on.

When I exited the room, I found plenty of people, but instead of them being my classmates, they were random people, on a bus. Every single seat was taken, so I wrapped a hand around a pole and stood in the isle.

"Do you know this guy?" A man close to me asked angrily.

He held up the newspaper he was holding and showed me an article which contained a picture. The article was about some murderer being apprehended. I turned my attention to the picture. There was a familiar looking young man who had a beard.

"Well? Do you?" The man asked again.

My mind was racing. Should I lie and tell him that I have no idea who the man is? Or should I tell him that I recognize the man, but do not know his name? The latter seemed like the best option. He would see that I don't know the name and maybe he'll calm down a little.

I put on the most sincere face that I can muster before responding.

"He looks familiar, but I'm afraid that I don't know his name." I said honestly.

"You're lying!" The man exclaimed, now standing. People were starting to stare.

"Sir, I am not lying to you." I said, struggling to keep myself calm.

"Don't lie to me! I can see it in your eyes when you do!"

I stand straighter, trying to assert myself. "I'm not lying to you. I don't know that man's name, but I recognize his face. That is all I can tell you."

"You could save me." The man insisted. "If you told me who he was, you could save my life!"

"I'm sorry," I said, extremely agitated. "But I don't know him."

-Page Break-

When I opened my eyes again, I was back in the testing room. Everything was back in its rightful place. Including the Abnegation woman. She was staring at me, eyes wide, not even bothering to hide her surprise. She removed her gaze and began removing the electrodes. It bothered me that she hasn't spoken yet.

"Is-is everything alright?" I asked, breaking the silence that had enveloped the room.

Still, the woman looked down, taking several excruciatingly long moments to speak. "Carter, I can't lie to you. I am extremely confused by what I just saw."

She's confused? How can she be confused? Isn't she supposed to know what I got by what she saw? Did I fail the test? Did I somehow manage to fail the only test where it isn't even possible to fail?

"Could you please elaborate?" I asked. _Elaborate? Really Carter? No sixteen-year old in Dauntless uses that word. Quit acting like you're Erudite._

"The test has a series of events in it. Each one rules out a faction until only one remains. But, as you probably know, Divergence, where a person has an aptitude for more than one faction, is becoming more popular."

I nodded. "So you're telling me that I'm Divergent." I concluded. "What's so confusing about that?"

"It's not that simple Carter. I've had my share of Divergent, but never have I had one who had the aptitude for more than two factions. If you would have gone for the cheese, that would have represented Amity and a different scenario would have happened to try and single that one out. If you had picked the knife, the same would have happened expect the faction would be Dauntless. The test is designed to try and pick out one faction, then eliminate the rest. Obviously for you, that didn't happen, since you didn't pick either the knife or the cheese."

My mind was trying to process everything that she just said. Basically, the test couldn't single anything out, so I have no aptitude.

"So," I began slowly, scared to say it out loud. "What you're saying is that I don't have an aptitude for anything? That I belong nowhere?"

"No Carter. What I'm saying is that you have an aptitude for all of the factions."

My mouth dropped. All of the factions. Of course I have an aptitude for all five of the factions. I stood up and started pacing, trying to figure out how this could be. "Of course." I said to myself. "It only makes sense that I have the aptitude for all five fucking factions. Why wouldn't I? I have the most screwed up life that anyone could imagine!"

As I continued talking to myself, I realized that tears were pouring down my face. It was odd because I never cried. I stopped after my dad was taken. I knew that nothing would hurt that much ever again so I didn't see the point in crying.

"Carter," the woman said. "Please sit down. You need to calm yourself."

"You can't expect me to calm down!" I yelled at her. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." I said immediately after, feeling guilty for snapping. I sat down and put my face in my hands. "How could this have happened?"

The lady rubbed my shoulder comfortingly. "You didn't pick the cheese or the knife, which kind of threw a wrench in the test. Not running from the dog suggested Dauntless, but you didn't take the knife, which also suggested it. You wanted to help the man and you acted sincere towards him and that could have represented either Amity or Abnegation. But you also told him the truth which suggested Candor. And also, you're knowledge about how to deal with the dog suggested Erudite. So basically, you did something that has never been done before. You beat the test."

"I beat the test." I echoed. "Unbelievable."

"Now Carter, you can't tell anyone."

I snapped my head in her direction. "What do you mean? Divergence is becoming more dominant. There's no threat."

"That may be, but there are whispers of a group in Erudite that are determined to challenge them. I don't know much about it, but it is said that they plan to abduct any Divergent that they can get their hands on. And if they got their hands on you; it would be like giving them a textbook that had an answer for everything. They'd take you and you'd be a prisoner forever."

"I won't tell anyone." I told her, nervous about what I was going to tell everyone. "I promise."

"Good." She responded. "I put your results in manually as Dauntless. You're free to go now."

I walked out with a mask of confidence painted on my face.

-Page Break-

*Third Person P.O.V*

The man was excited when his computer binged, signaling a new email. This specific email would let him know whether or not his plan could be put in to motion this year, or if he'd have to wait. It's been six long years and he wasn't sure if he could wait any longer.

This man was probably one of the smartest people there ever was. Well, he was smart enough to hack into an airtight system and receive every single aptitude result administered that day before they had the chance to be changed.

He sat down and opened up the long awaited document. When he saw its contents, his eyes lit up in surprise and happiness.

He looked over to the room where Tobias Eaton was pacing, waiting to find out if he could finally go on his mission. Little did he know his mission would involve the people closest to him. Actually, the people who used to be close to him.

"Well, well." The man said to himself. "This will be fun."

**Please don't expect regular updates. I don't know when the next one will be, but I'll get it up as soon as I can. Love ya'll.**

**~A**

**P.S. My class won our homecoming. The seniors haven't lost in a long time so it's a pretty big deal. I have a kickass class and we are awesome. JUNIORS!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Howdy ya'll. I got this up way sooner than expected. You should consider yourselves lucky because I've been using my school time to write this. Now I've decided that I really like to write in third person, so I will most likely be continuing this story in that POV. Now enjoy!**

Chapter 3

Carter walked out of the testing room, desperately trying to hide her emotions. She was a very tough girl and it takes a lot to rattle her, but this was the icing on the cake. Who would've thought that she, she out of every sixteen year-old in the city, would have an aptitude for all five factions?

How was Carter going to keep this a secret? She could lie when she needed to, but it pained her to do so. That was now explained due to the fact that she realized that she was part Candor. Grayson never had a problem lying to his mother, especially when he wanted to go to a party. Carter, on the other hand, hated lying to her mother and seldom did so. After her dad went missing, Carter felt this urge to just be her mom's rock, even though Tris had other people for that. Carter was loyal, especially when it came to family.

Those loyalties made Carter want to run home right now and tell her mom about her predicament. Carter felt that her mother would know exactly what to do and say. It was impossible though. Nobody was allowed to talk about their results. Sure, some people did anyways, but this was too big to talk about.

Carter stared absently around the cafeteria as she waited for Grayson to finish his own test. No one approached her, which was somewhat odd. Carter was surprisingly well liked among her peers, even though she was one of those crazy, reckless, Dauntless psychos. Perhaps she looked angry or hostile at the moment. Whatever it was, Carter was acting unapproachable. Except to Grayson.

The happy-go-lucky teen basically skipped over to Carter after he left his testing room. There was no trace of worry or distraught. The site made Carter smile and a small portion of the weight that was currently crushing her chest was lifted.

"Howdy partner." Grayson greeted in a ridiculous accent.

Playfully, Carter punched him in the arm. Grayson feigned a fatal injury and collapsed in a spectacular heap on the table. Kids around them chuckled. Grayson always was able to lighten the mood even in the most tense or awkward situations.

Grayson composed himself, looped his arm through hers and dragged her away from the table.

Carter's best friend spoke, once again using his horrible accent. "How are you today m'lady?"

Carter put on a fake smile before she responded. "Everything is quite swell sir. And yourself?"

"Everything is A-Okay!" Grayson chanted. Together, the pair laughed. They only stopped when an Erudite, Sharon Hefley, walked up to them.

The petite girl with glasses looked up at the two with a mixture of fear and admiration.

"Hi Carter. Hi Grayson." She squeaked. "I just want to say how cute you guys are. You're perfect for each other." Sharon walked away before the two could say anything.

Both Grayson and Carter stared after the girl. Carter turned to Grayson and laughed like they always did. Grayson on the other hand cleared his throat and gave a weak, unconvincing chuckle, as if what Sharon just said had made him uncomfortable.

Fortunately for Grayson, Carter didn't notice his lack of laughter. Little did Carter know, Grayson was didn't think that the old joke was very funny anymore. If anything, it seemed like he resented it.

"When do we get out of here?" Carter asked.

Grayson looked at a pretend watch before answering. "I'd say in about twenty minutes."

"Good." Carter said. "I can't wait to get out of here." Actually she could. She still wasn't sure what she was going to say when she went home.

"Same," Grayson answered. "Listen Carter, I've been meaning to tell you something-" Grayson was cut off by a high pitched yell.

Back in the cafeteria a bigger Dauntless boy was picking on a much smaller Candor boy. Grayson and Carter knew the Dauntless boy. His name was Quin, a.k.a the meanest guy in the entire faction. He was known for beating up the younger kids and, for some reason, everyone just let him. Well, everyone except for Carter and Grayson. Whenever those two happened upon one the Quin's daily beatings, they put an end to it. They were the only ones brave enough to do so.

"C'mon," Carter muttered to Grayson, starting to jog towards Quin and the Candor.

"Quin!" Carter yelled. "Knock it off!"

Quin released his grip on the kid, who used the opportunity to get away. "Why should I listen to you?" Quin retorted.

"Because you're being an ass." Grayson said plainly. "And asses like you need someone to set them straight."

"Last time I recalled, I can kick _your _ass anytime I like." Quin snarled. "Even when your girlfriend is backing you up."

"We don't need, or want, to beat you up Quin," Carter stated, ignoring the fact that she really isn't Graysons girlfriend. "We just want you to stop picking on smaller, younger kids. It's not fair to them."

"You don't tell me what to do." Quin said. He shoved past Carter and Grayson and joined his group of friends.

"God, I hate that guy." Carter said. She turned back to Grayson. "Now what were you going to tell me?"

"It's not important," muttered Grayson. The fact that Quin called Carter his girlfriend upset him and made him lose his confidence, and it's rare for Grayson to lose his confidence.

Carter narrowed her eyes at Grayson. She knew that it was obviously something important, but she decided to let it go. If Grayson wanted to tell her, he would tell her when he was ready. Carter knew that bugging him about it would just be a step in the wrong direction.

"We have five minutes left." Grayson said after a few moments of silence. "We should get going so we can get a headstart."

Carter nodded and followed her best friend. The two made sure that there weren't any teachers around, then exited the school. The train wouldn't arrive for another couple minutes, but that meant that they could take there time getting on the platform instead of running the risk of missing the train.

After a while, more and more Dauntless arrived on the platform. When they all heard the train coming, they set off at a light jog, slowly increasing their speed as the train got closer and closer. Carter and Grayson got on first. They sat down next to each other and leaned against the walls of the train car.

"How did your test go?" Grayson asked, trying to make small talk.

Carter wasn't sure how to answer. She didn't want to lie and say it went great, but she also didn't want to tell her friend the truth. Carter couldn't put Grayson at risk by telling him that she was Divergent. He could get into a lot of trouble for concealing her.

"It was fine." She said quietly. "And yours?"

"Same." Grayson told her. That was the end of the conversation. For the first time in their entire lives, neither could think of something to say to the other. They were acting like they haven't been friends for the past sixteen years.

When Carter looked at Grayson, she didn't know what to feel. On one hand, she saw her best friend. On the other hand, she saw someone who could end up being more, despite the fact that they've already tried. Part of her wanted to try again, but she didn't want to lose Grayson if it didn't work out.

When Grayson looked at Carter, he saw the girl that he loves wholeheartedly. He didn't know how much longer he could go on if he was just her friend. Though they came to a mutual agreement that they didn't work when they first tried dating, Graysons feelings stuck. He mostly agreed because he knew that being just friends with Carter was better than living without her in his life.

Both saw the other as someone who only wanted to be friends. They had no idea what the other was actually seeing.

The two jumped off the train and entered the compound without saying a word. Both muttered a goodbye before entering their separate apartments.

Carter dreaded opening that door. She still hadn't figured out what she was going to say. Regardless, she walked in and was immediately greeted by TJ.

"Hey TJ!" Carter exclaimed. "How was your day?"

TJ, who was rather on the quiet side, didn't say anything. Instead, he wrapped his little arms around his big sister and held on tight.

"He's been asking for you since he got home." Carter's mom said.

"Really? Why?"

"Not sure," Tris answered. "He must have sensed that today was a big day."

"Yeah." Carter murmured. "A really big day."

"I know that I'm not supposed to ask about your test Carter, but if you want to talk to me about anything, you can come to me. I'll listen and advise you as best as I can."

"Thanks mom." Carter said, walking over to her mom and hugging her. "I'm so scared." she whispered.

Tris stroked her daughters hair and softly said, "It's alright Carter. You'll be okay."

-Page Break-

Carter woke up in the middle of the night. She had a nightmare in which she was at the choosing ceremony. She cut her hand with the knife given to her, and proceeded to pick which faction she wanted to go to. As she moved her hand to pick, everyone in the building started shouting at once.

"Choose!" They all screamed. "Choose!"

Carter couldn't concentrate with everyone yelling at her. She whipped around to face the crowd, drops of her blood flying everywhere.

"She has chosen!" A man announced.

When Carter turned around, she saw that every bowl had a drop of her blood in it.

That's when she woke up in a cold sweat. She was sitting up, looking for the mass of people that had been chanting for her to choose. Instead, she saw the sleeping figures of her two brothers. Needing some air, Carter got up and tried to quietly exit the room. Before she could leave, a voice called out to her.

"Carter?" It whispered.

Carter turned to see TJ kneeling in the middle of his bed. She walked towards him and tucked her little brother back under the covers.

"It's alright TJ. I'll be back. I'm just going for a walk." She assured him.

Carter's feet brought her to a spot that she frequently visited at this time of night. The train tracks.

Carter liked to come out here when she couldn't sleep. The sound of the trains calmed her. She closed her eyes, soaking up the wind as a train plowed past. The gravel then shifted beside her. Carter looked up to see an unmistakable face illuminated from the dim compound lights.

"Dad?"

**WOAH! What just happened? **

**Love you guys!**

**~A**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello. Yeah, I realize I haven't updated in a while. I'm not going to make excuses because, even though I have some, you've all heard it before. I understand it's an inconvenience for you that I don't update very often, but it's also an inconvenience for me when I get told how easy it is to "write a stupid chapter and post it." I had someone say that to me. So thank you to those who read and appreciate my writing. I appreciate your support. **

Was Carter dreaming? Was it possible that she was still asleep and this encounter was just a figment of her imagination? It couldn't be. Every time she saw her father in a dream, he looked exactly the same as he did on the day that Carter last saw him. Clean shaven, neatly combed hair, warm, dark blue eyes, black t-shirt with dark gray jeans, a smile on his face. There had never been any parody. He always looked the same.

This was a whole new version.

This version of her dad had obviously not shaven for at least a week. His eyes, still a deep, deep, blue, were fierce. His hair was close cropped. Shorter than Abnegation short. He wore a plain white long sleeve shirt with faded blue jeans. Instead of his goofy, signature smirk, there was a disappointed frown.

This wasn't the father she remembered.

"Dad?" Carter repeated.

It was as if he didn't see her. His now cold eyes bore through her. In all honesty, Carter, for the first time in her life, was terrified of her dad.

Carter scrambled to her feet and took off towards the compound, not bothering to see if her father was following her. Sure, it wasn't very Dauntless of her to run, but that was the thing; she wasn't just Dauntless anymore.

Carter sprinted through the empty hallways, full of adrenaline. She felt as if she could run forever. That was something that she had inherited from her mother. When Carter was younger, the two would host races. Of course, Tris would not run nearly as fast as she could have.

Finally, Carter reached her apartment. She flung the door open, not caring about how loud she was being.

"Mom!" she yelled while walking towards the bedroom. Her mother shot up, dazed and confused. Tris threw off the covers and stood up, facing her daughter.

"What is it Carter?" she asked cautiously. By this point, both Aiden and TJ were up. They were standing behind their older sister, sleep still present in their eyes.

"It's dad." Carter stated, trying to keep her composure.

Tris now stood face to face with her daughter. Though she was much bigger than her mother, Carter was intimidated by Tris; especially when it looked like she was about to get slapped.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Tris asked in a fierce whisper. Nobody ever brought up Tobias. You'd be a fool to.

"He's back." Carter gulped.

"How do you know that?"

Carter took in a breath, preparing to explain. "I was out by the trains because I couldn't sleep. When a train went past, someone jumped off. It was dad."

"Stop lying Carter." Aiden ordered. "Dad is dead. We don't need this."

Carter, frustrated, pushed past her brother and stormed into her room. She pulled open one of the dresser draws and pulled out the small piece of paper she'd kept hidden for six years.

She handed it to her mother and waited for her to read it.

"What is this?" Tris asked, her voice cracking a little bit.

"A few days after dad was taken, I looked in that one tree like I always did. I found this inside. It was dad. That's the only person who could have written it."

Aiden snatched the note and examined it. His eyes widened as he realized that it was his father's hand writing.

"Why didn't you tell anyone about this Carter?" her mother demanded, dangerously close to tears.

Suddenly, Carter felt guilty. "I didn't want you to think that he was coming back right away," she answered truthfully. "I thought it was better that you think he was dead rather than expect him to come home at any given time."

Tris opened her mouth to reply, but before she could say anything, a loud banging sound erupted from the hallway.

"TJ, stay in here and don't make a sound." Tris ordered quietly. Silently, Carter's mother started towards the door. Her hand rested on the door handle for a few seconds before she actually turned it.

Tris gasped when she finally swung the door open. Her husband, who she hadn't seen in six years, was standing in the doorway.

"Tobias," Tris whispered. Her mouth started forming words that she couldn't seem to speak. There were so many things that she wanted to say, but, for some reason, no sound was coming out. Here Tobias was, the husband that she had missed so dearly, and she couldn't get a single word out.

Carter and Aiden stood side by side behind their mother, forming a barrier. If their father made any advances of any kind, they would be there to take him down.

"I was told that I would find shelter here." Tobias stated plainly. He was using what was known as his instructor voice. It commonly came out when Carter would pick on Aiden-or vice versa-when they were much younger.

"What are you talking about?" Tris managed to get out.

"My superior told me that this household would allow me to house here for the duration of my mission." Tobias explained. He held out his hand. "My name is Tobias Eaton. Surely you've been informed of my arrival."

Tris stared at the hand as if it repulsed her. Shaking hands wasn't a common thing in Dauntless, especially between husband and wife.

Meanwhile, the words superior and mission were swirling around in Carter's head. What was her dad talking about? He lived here. At least he did until he was taken.

"I-I don't understand," Tris stammered. "I know who you are."

"Of course you do. Obviously I wouldn't have been sent here without you having knowledge of it." Tobias said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"That's not what I meant." Tris argued, her voice growing louder and bolder. "I know that you're Tobias Eaton because you're my husband and the father of my children."

Tobias frowned. "I think you're mistaken. I have no living relatives. I'm not even from here."

Tris was angry. Her husband, the one person, other than her children, that she loved more than life itself, was here. And he had no idea who she was or the past they shared. The people that took him wiped his memory. The erased the old Tobias and put a blank copy in his place. Tris was more than angry. It was an indescribable emotion.

"You've lived in this city your whole life, up until six years ago." Tris seethed. "You lived in this very apartment. You walked throughout these halls. You had a wife here. You had children here. Don't tell me I'm mistaken when I have proof that this is where you're from."

Tobias crossed his arms and gave Tris a condescending look. "And what proof is that?"

Tris pointed at herself. "My name is Tris Eaton. I am your wife." She pointed at her daughter. "This is Carter Eaton, your daughter. You named her." Tris transitioned over to her second child. "This is Aiden Eaton, your son. You begged me to have his name be Aiden Christopher Eaton so that you could call him Ace."

Tobias, standing with wide eyes, struggled to find something logical to say. Obviously this woman didn't just come up with this on the spot, but how could it possibly be true? Tobias had lived in a large building with many people, but only a handful of them were women. Even though he wasn't allowed to associate himself with them, he still saw them almost every single day. He definitely would have remembered this short girl with the piercing blue-gray eyes. He's just met her, well, not from her perspective apparently, and he felt something strange when he really looked at her. She wasn't ugly, she wasn't pretty. She was beautiful.

While the two were having their stare down, Carter disappeared into her mother's bedroom. TJ was sitting on the bed, playing with his toes. When his sister walked in the room, he glanced up at her, but only for a second. His toes required his attention at the moment.

That was the thing about TJ. He wasn't like other six year olds. If he were, he'd have been trying to sneak out of the bedroom. If he hadn't done that, he would have bombarded Carter with questions the second she walked into the room. He simply didn't talk. Well, at least not very often. He simply listened to everything and absorbed whatever he heard.

Carter sat down on the bed, struggling to find the words to say so that TJ would understand.

"TJ, look at me please," Carter said softly. She took a big breath before continuing. "There is a man out there that you don't know. He doesn't know you either." Carter almost burst into tears as she said that. It was a crime that TJ didn't know his father, and vice versa. As she looked at him now, she realized that her little brother really was a carbon copy of their dad. They had the same eyes, same hair, even the same smirk when TJ decided to share it.

"Why is he here?" TJ asked quietly.

"I'm not sure," Carter answered truthfully. "He's someone from our past. Mine, Mom's, and Aiden's. I guess you could say he's a part of yours, but he disappeared before you were actually born. Now he's back, so I need to tell you something before someone else accidentally lets it slip."

"What is it Carter?" For a six year old, TJ somehow managed to sound very sophisticated when he talked.

"That man, that man is our father. Before you were born, he was taken from us. Now he's returned with no memory of any of us. Mom's trying to make him remember and convince him that she's telling the truth. I want to help her out. In order to that, I need your help okay?"

-Page Break-

When Carter opened the door, all conversation ceased as Tris, Tobias, and Aiden turned to look at her. She pulled the door open wider and allowed TJ to walk out. Tobias eyed Carter suspiciously. He didn't know that behind that door, his youngest son was sitting there alone with no idea that his father, who he has never met, was standing only a few feet away.

TJ walked right up to Tobias and signaled for him to crouch down to his eye level. He stuck out his hand, a gesture that his sister had told him to do, and shook his father's hand.

Tris and Aiden stared at Carter, begging her with their eyes to tell them what was going on. Carter made it a point to avoid their gaze and instead paid attention to her fingernails.

"Hello sir." TJ said in a serious voice. "My name is Tobias James Eaton. I was named after my dad because I look a lot like him, even though it would be a constant reminder to everyone that he was gone. What's your name?"

**As a continuation of the note above, I'd just like to point a few things out. I don't like to post short, inadequate chapters. I was done with that the second I started getting serious about my first fanfiction. If I'm going to post something, it's going to be at least 1500 words and actually be a quality chapter. I'm not going to chuck something up when I know that you guys will be disappointed and I, too, will be disappointed. I care about my writing and you readers too much to do that. I hope you understand that. Please don't harass me anymore about my slow updating style. For those of you that don't, thank you.**

**~A**


	5. Chapter 5

**Yeah, I know. Don't yell at me. I strained the AC muscle in my shoulder and I may or may not have a concussion. I'm a wreck, and it's all because of basketball. But don't worry, UConn beat Notre Dame to prove that they're still the best. Women's basketball is so great.**

Chapter 5

Carter's little stunt with TJ didn't make her father automatically believe Tris' story, but it definitely confused him. Tobias stared at the six year old with shocked eyes before he dropped to TJ's level and shook his hand, saying that his name was also Tobias. While that was going on, Tris was glaring at her daughter. She obviously hadn't appreciated the use of her six year old son, even if it meant recovering Tobias' memories.

At the moment, Tobias was seated on the couch, probably taking everything in. Carter couldn't blame him. He was just told that he had a wife and three kids, that he was kidnapped, that he was brainwashed.

After a while he stood up and faced Tris. "I can understand if you don't want me to stay here." He said with a softish voice. "If it provides too much discomfort I can make other arrangements."

Tris looked pained when she spoke to him. "No. It's alright. You can stay on the couch. Maybe staying here will cause some of your memories to come back." She said the last part so quietly, Carter was pretty sure she was the only one who heard it.

Tris disappeared into the bedroom. When she returned, she had some blankets and a pillow in her arms. Carter recognized the pillow as the one from her dads side of the bed. After handing all of it to Tobias, Tris retreated into her bedroom, shutting the door behind her. Carter felt that she should go in and apologize for using TJ the way she did, but she knew better. Her mother needed to be alone right now.

Instead, Carter grabbed TJ by the hand so that she could get him to bed. It was really late and he would be getting up early tomorrow for the Choosing Ceremony. She motioned for Aiden to come with as well.

"Wait." Her father called out just as she was entering the bedroom. All three of the children turned to face him. "I need to speak with Carter." He said calmly. Carter nodded before entering the room with her two brothers.

"You need to go to sleep TJ." She whispered. "Big day tomorrow." Carter tucked him in and brushed a few stray pieces of hair off of his forehead.

Aiden was still hovering by the door, making no move to go to sleep. "I'm talking to him with you." He stated.

"No, Aiden. I need to do this alone." Carter told him. She cut him off as he opened his mouth to respond. "I know that he's your dad too, but he asked for me. He may say more if I'm alone."

Aiden's mouth was pressed into a straight line. He knew that I was right, he just didn't want to admit it. We were protective of each other, and I know I'd try to do the same thing for him.

"If you need me, just call out." He said.

"I know Aiden." Carter murmured.

When she walked back out, her father was in the same position that he had been in before. Shoulders slumped, blank stare. He seemed completely different from the confident, loving man Carter used to know.

"TJ looks just like me." He said plainly. That statement threw Carter off guard. She wasn't expecting him to say that.

Carter tentatively sat down next to him. "He really does." She agreed cautiously. "That's why my mom named him after you."

Tobias shook his head. "I still can't figure out how this is possible. I have no memory of any of you."

Carter winced. She never thought that she'd see the day where her own father didn't know who she was. She knew that he'd be gone long before that even had the chance to happen. That's just how it worked in Dauntless. Old people weren't a part of the system.

"It's all true." Carter assured him. "I understand that it's a lot to take in, but-"

"I don't think you do." His voice wasn't accusing, but Carter was still taken aback. "I was just told that I have a family that I don't remember. How am I supposed to believe that without question?"

"I may not understand your exact situation, but I know what it's like to be this confused." Carter said, struggling to keep calm. "One day, everything was great. I had a mom, a dad, a brother, and another sibling on the way, even though we hadn't known that at the time. The next day, my world was flipped upside down. That next day, I had an unknowingly pregnant mother who was starting to drift away from us, a brother who wanted to hit everything in sight, and, all of a sudden, no dad. All I had was a little note that I clung to, hoping every day was the day that he was finally coming home. It took six years for him to come back, and he doesn't remember us, so yes, I understand more than you think."

He looked at Carter with the same deep blue eyes that she remembered. They weren't cold like they were by the train tracks an hour or two ago.

"I'm sorry Carter," he whispered. "I wasn't thinking when I said that. Of course you understand. But you also have to understand that a part of me thinks that this is a set up from the people I work with. A ploy to see how I react. It's just so hard to tell what's real or not real."

"I'll be here to help you sort through it all." Carter said with a small smile.

"There's something else, though." Her father's voice dropped to a low whisper. "The people I work for, they want you." Before Carter could interject, Tobias put up his hand to silence her. "Let me explain. The faction known as Erudite is going to stir up a lot of trouble soon. The agency that I work for, I just call it The Agency, has known this for years. They have a lot of insiders. Including one Gwen Parks that currently resides in Dauntless. They've been looking for someone powerful to help them."

"So they want me?" Carter asked, avoiding the fact that she vaguely recognized the name Gwen Parks. "Why on earth would they want me?"

"The Agency wants to recruit a citizen of Chicago that has an aptitude for all five factions." Tobias explained.

Carter stopped breathing for a second. Nobody knew about her... peculiar Divergence except her and the lady who administered her test. "And what makes you think that I have such an aptitude?" Carter asked, trying desperately to cover her growing fear.

Carter's father looked at her; it was as if he was sympathetic. "The Agency has access to every aptitude test taken each year. The test administrators are almost always insiders, so they send a message when they come across a Divergent with the required standards. My boss was starting to think that it would never happen. Until you, the largest aptitude anyone had was for three factions, and even that was rare."

"Why do they need me?" Carter asked, her voice beginning to quiver a little bit.

"I'm not sure." Her father admitted. "My job was to come here and get you; I was supposed to warm up to your family and then just disappear one day with you. They didn't tell me anything about the next step or why they even needed you. Then I heard your mothers story and now I don't know what to do. Part of me wants to believe her completely. The other part of me just wants to take you and get back to the Agency."

Carter realized how torn her father was about this. Deep down, part of him must have known that this was wrong. Kidnapping someone's child was immoral. Especially when it comes to a family who's already had someone taken from it. Then again, he was erased at the Agency. There, his goal in life was to complete this one mission. Here, he was confronted with a past life that he couldn't remember. Now he doesn't know which path he wanted to continue following.

"I want you to know that my mothers story is the truth." Carter said. "I understand that it's hard to believe when you can't remember anything. I'm going to get your memories back Dad."

Both father and daughter winced at the word _Dad. _It's a word that Carter has not used in a long time. It's a word that Tobias had never associated with himself, at least not that he could remember.

Tobias looked at Carter. He studied her gray eyes, her pink lips, her flushed cheeks. He scanned them furiously, hoping for any kind of recognition. But he found nothing. Carter was a stranger to him. And she knew it.

Carter knew that in order to get her father back, she'd need help. Obviously she didn't have the power to that on her own. There was only one place that had the answers. It was also the place that she should be avoiding at all costs.

But going to Erudite was a small price to pay if it meant getting her father back.

**Don't know when the next update will be. I'm writing during school so it takes me a long time. Later skaters!**

**~A**


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